Students Organize Appreciation Event for Texas Tech PD

The TTUHSC El Paso SGA treated the Texas Tech Police Department (TTPD) to an awards ceremony and luncheon in April.

In April, the Texas Tech Police Department (TTPD) was treated to an awards ceremony and luncheon. The first-of-a-kind event was organized by students from all three of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso)’s schools, with key organizers representing the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the Texas Nursing Students’ Association (TNSA), and the Year-one Medical Service Committee (MSC MS1).

The first-of-a-kind event included an indulgent spread catered by Famous Dave’s Barbeque and the presentation of a plaque with the names of all the TTPD’s staff. In addition to being TTUHSC El Paso’s first-ever police appreciation event, this was also the first time all three schools — The Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences — collaborated on a project of this scale. Students from each of the three schools contributed financially and volunteered their time.

The TTPD, which currently staffs 40 personnel, responds to anywhere between 50 and 100 plus calls per month. Over 30 of the department’s staff attended the event, along with students and the class presidents from all three schools, who presented the plaque.

“On behalf of the Texas Tech Police Department, we were pleasantly surprised at the huge gesture of appreciation demonstrated by the various colleges,” said Lieutenant George Stoltz, TTPD. “We are especially grateful to the SGA for hosting the event. Officers, students, and staff were able to enjoy a meal together and at the same time, meet the people behind the badges.”

While this year’s appreciation event marks many firsts for TTUHSC El Paso, it won’t be the last — the student organizations hope to carry on the tradition in the coming years.